Equipment for starting the winding of a strip



EQUIPMENT FOR STARTING THE WINDING OF A STRIP Filed Feb. 4, 1965 L. E.DIOLOT Oct. 3, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 tkr ml IMWIH Map in Niki v 4 411 HHHKE{A lg PP A, ||U .n||.lm .|l:l|| r nlwh llll L s, 1 LL--ii----::i.i..-ii J. M

L. E. DIOLOT Oct. 3, 1967 EQUIPMENT FOR STARTING THE WINDING OF A STRIP3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 4, 1965 Filed Feb. 4, 1965 0a. 3, 1967 OT3,344,638

EQUIPMENT FOR STARTING THE WINDING OF A STRIP 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 UnitedStates Patent M 3,344,638 EQUIPMENT FOR STARTING THE WINDING OF A STRIPLucien Eugene Diolot, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, assignor to SocieteNouveile Spidem, Paris, France, a corporation of France Filed Feb. 4,1965, Ser. No. 430,279 Claims priority, application France, Feb. 18,1964, 964,206 6 Claims. (Cl. 72-148) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Thisinvention relates to devices for initiating winding of a strip materialon a drum and more particularly to such devices which can efficientlyhandle a heavy thick strip material by a new and improved tension means.

As is known, the rolling of strip fiat products is followed by thewinding of the rolled strip on a cylindrical drum. It is very beneficialthat this winding be started automatically without it being necessary tofasten the strip on the drum whatever be the means used. To this end,there has appeared a rather large number of devices which all make useof one or several belts designed to follow the drum surface as closelyas possible. The strip is inserted between the belt and the drum andbinds itself hooplike on the drum, its grip being sufficient after a fewturns to enable the withdrawing of the belt. Such devices may be usedfor winding on a drum any fiat product fed from a machine other than arolling-mill, for example, a leveling machine.

These arrangements for starting the winding, according to known priorart, are suitable mainly for thin flexible products. Althoughimprovements have adapted some of these devices for thicker and,consequently, stiffer strips, the belts remain relatively fragile partswhich may be cut by the strip metal edges or damaged in the case of hotwinding, therefore necessitating their frequent change. Finally, thesebelts cannot be used above a certain thickness of the strip.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to increase thelifetime of the winding member.

Another object of the invention is to increase to a large extent thepull on the winding member so as to enable, for a same drum diameter,the winding of metal strips with larger thicknesses than with thosedevices in the prior art,

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for initiatingwinding, which has the above-mentioned features and which makes use ofpressing means, such as endless chains orendless cables subjected tohigh tension and which carry in their motion juxtaposed blocks havingslight play and curved surfaces conforming to the curve of the windingdrum in order to firmly apply the strip thereon.

Still another object of the invention is to prevent scratching of thestrips by using metallic blocks covered with a layer of a relativelyflexible but of high resistance material, such as superpolyarnide,polytetrafluorethylene, agglomerated fine grain graphite.

Other advantages and objects of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description.

A non-limiting embodiment of the invention will be described hereafterwith reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of the equipment for starting the winding, thepressing device having just been applied around the drum in order toreceive and guide the strip.

3,344,638 Patented Oct. 3, 1967 FIGURE 2 is the same as FIGURE 1, whenthe equip ment for starting the winding has been pulled away frorr thedrum on which the strip is steadily winding.

FIGURE 3 is an elevation of a section of the chain with its blocks.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the chain showing one way of holding theblocks.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the arrangement for starting the windingcomprises a structure 1, which may slide on slideways 2 under the actionof a jack 3. This structure terminates towards the front by two slightlydiverging arms 15 and 16 between which is left a cavity with asemi-circular bottom such that, when moved into working position (FIGURE1), it surrounds concentrically the drum 17 of approximately in arcuatelength. At the end of the arms 15 and on a spindle 6, a mobile member 4may swivel under the action of the jacks 8 and 9. A chain 10 fitted withblocks 18 (FIGURE 3) is passed over a number of intermediate gears suchas 11, 11a, 1112, etc., and to this chain is associated at least onetensioning jack such as 12, which, as shown, perform its duty by movingone of the gears 11a, for instance. When not in use, the chain runs infront of the entrance of the cavity via two gears fitted at the ends ofthe arms 15 and 16.

At the end of the swivelling member 4 is mounted a jack 14 which maybring forward or backward on elongated wedge 13.

The chain 19 is normally set in motion, when in working position, by thestrip 19 coming out from the roller; it may be advantageous to help themotion of this chain with an electric motor 5 which is synchronized withthe rotation of the drum 17 or which may drive the chain with slightoverspeed so as to prevent any crease on the strip 19 when winding.

Each block 18 may be covered with a layer 18 of a high resistanceflexible material provided on its slightly curved surface which appliesthe strip onto the drum.

The operation of the above-described equipmentvis as follows:

The drum being free of strip and the equipment being in the positionshown in FIGURE 2, the latter is brought into contact with the drum bymeans of the jack 3 and takes the position shown in FIGURE 1. Theswivelling member 4 has moved down under the action of the ja ks 8 and9.

The elongated wedge 13 is held provisionally in the withdrawn position,while the strip 19 arrives and starts winding on the drum 17, pressed bythe chain 10 fitted with blocks. This chain is driven by the strip andif the latter is thick, a driving motor 5 is used, to which a slightoverspeed may be given.

When the strip is sufficiently engaged on the drum, while being stronglypressed against it, the wedge is moved forward in such a manner that itmakes a very small angle with the strip 19, the end of which is nowcoming to place itself under the first turn and is pushed thereunder bythe wedge.

A few turns are thus wound around the drum under the pressure of thechain and when the strip is in this way sufficiently tight, the wedge 13is withdrawn, the swivelling member 4 is moved upward by means of itsjacks without allowing the wedge to come into contact with the strip,and the whole equipment is moved backward under the action of the jack3. The equipment as well as the chain 11) are back to the position shownin FIGURE 2, while the strip 19 keeps winding regularly around the drum17.

The chain bearing the blocks must give the latter a sufficient play sothat they may press in a regular and continuous way on the surface ofthe drum or of the strip; a roller chain such as that shown in FIGURE 3may be appropriate. The rollers being attached two by two withsideplates 21, each block may be held by angle parts 22 overlapping twoplates. When applying the strip on the drum, the blocks come into theposition shown by dotted lines in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 4 is a section of the chain shown passing over one of the gears11.

-It is to be understood that detail variants may be pro vided for whendesigning the starting equipment according to the orientation of itsmotion with respect to the drum and to the in-coming strip. In order tobe efficient, the elongated wedge 13 must be positioned with a verysmall angle of incidence with respect to the strip under winding.

Whatever the chain, it is firmly guided transversally by means of thedriving and intermediate gears, contrary to what happens unfortunatelywith a belt, which tends to sway on the intermediate pulleys.

According to the width of the winding drum, one or several chains maywork in parallel.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for restarting the winding of a flat band made by adevice such as a rolling mill comprising: a receiving drum for saidband, a mobile frame carrying a pressure member for ensuring the windingunder pressure of the first turns of said band onto said drum, saidpressure member including a plurality of pinions, one of said pinionsbeing power driven, at least one endless chain means mounted on saidpinions and surrounding the periphery of said drum approximately 270 fordefining a free passage necessary for the introduction of said bandbetween said chain means and said drum, said mobile frame furthercarrying a pivotally supported arm the free end of said arm supportingone of said pinions adjacent said passage and a jack means having alinearly reciprocable wedge, said wedge being oriented to form an acuteangle of extremely small magnitude with the linear direction of saidband before being wound on said drum, whereby said wedge guides the freeterminus of said band to thereby close the first turn of said band onsaid drum.

2. In a device according to claim 1, wherein said mobile frame is movedforward and backward in a perpendicular direction to the axis of saiddrum, said frame having a cavity which surrounds concentrically saiddrum an arcuate length of approximately said endless chain means beingmounted under tension by a selected number of said pinions, tensionjacks for moving said selected pinions whereby in non-operating periodssaid endless chain means moves rectilinearly in front of the entrance ofsaid cavity, and in operating periods said chain means is positionedbetween said cavity and said drum.

3. In a device according to claim 2, wherein said pivotally supportedarm is actuated by one of said jacks.

. In a device according to claim 1, wherein a means is provided fortensioning said chain means, and a plurality of juxtaposed blocks havingmeans secured to said chain means with a slight play to thereby press onsaid band and said drum firmly and substantially without break ofcontinuity.

5. In a device according to claim 4, wherein said chain means is aroller chain, said rollers being attached two by two by side plates,each of said blocks being mounted to overlap two adjacent plates on eachside of said roller chain.

6. In a device according to claim 4, wherein each block is covered witha layer of a material preventing the formation of creases on said strip,said material being selected from the group consisting of,superpolyamide, polytetrafiuoroethylene and agglomerated fine graingraphite.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 525,526 9/1894 Anderson 198-1952,309,781 2/ 1943 OBrien 72-148 2,357,157 8/1944 Wood 72148 2,711,1306/1955 Guettler 198-167 2,725,104 11/1955 Wood 72148 2,792,928 5/1957Holz 19820O OTHER REFERENCES Journal of Teflon, Du Pont, September 1963,p. 6, Bulletin 57-12, Chain Belt Company, 1957.

RICHARD J. HERBST, Primary Examiner.

A. L. HAVIS, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN APPARATUS FOR RESTARTING THE WINDING OF A FLAT BAND MADE BY ADEVICE SUCH AS A ROLLING MILL COMPRISING: A RECEIVING DRUM FOR SAIDBAND, A MOBILE FRAME CARRYING A PRESSURE CHAMBER FOR ENSURING THEWINDING UNDER PRESSURE OF THE FIRST TURNS OF SAID BAND ONTO SAID DRUM,SAID PRESSURE MEMBER INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PINIONS, ONE OF SAIDPINIONS BEING POWER DRIVEN, AT LEAST ONE ENDLESS CHAIN MEANS MOUNTED ONSAID PINIONS AND SURROUNDING THE PERIPHERY OF SAID DRUM APPROXIMATELY270* FOR DEFINING A FREE PASSAGE NECESSARY FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF SAIDBAND BETWEEN SAID CHAIN MEANS AND SAID DRUM, SAID MOBILE FRAME FURTHERCARRYING A PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ARM THE FREE END OF SAID ARM SUPPORTINGONE OF SAID PINIONS ADJACENT SAID PASSAGE AND A JACK MEANS HAVING ALINEARLY RECIPROCABLE WEDGE, SAID WEDGE BEING ORIENTED TO FORM AN ACUTEANGLE OF EXTREMELY SMALL MAGNITUDE WITH THE LINEAR DIRECTION OF SAIDBAND BEFORE BEING WOUND ON SAID DRUM, WHEREBY SAID WEDGE GUIDES THE FREETERMINUS OF SAID BAND TO THEREBY CLOSE THE FIRST TURN OF SAID BAND ONSAID DRUM.